How to write a memo: a step-by-step guide

For the first half of my working life, I worked in admin across a bunch of industries: healthcare, real estate, legal, and a quick (miserable) stint at a car dealership. As different as they all were, one thing was consistent: everyone wanted a memo to communicate…everything. 

Personally, I think most internal updates can live in an email or a Slack message if it's that quick. But that's not how every workplace operates, and, to be fair, for some announcements, the formality of a memo is the point. It signals that something is official, documented, and worth paying attention to.

While I remember next to nothing about medical billing codes or how to transfer car ownership, I do know how to write a decent memo. Which maybe isn't the snazziest claim to fame, but here we are. Anyway, here's everything you need to know about memo-writing.

Table of contents: 

• What is a memo? 

• How to write a memo: a step-by-step guide 

• 3 memo examples and templates

• Automate your memo workflows with Zapier

What is a memo?

A memo (or memorandum) is a brief document used to communicate important information within an organization—things like company announcements, policy changes, urgent internal developments, and any other important updates. 

Memos are traditionally reserved for internal comms—they're rarely sent to clients or external partners (that's a different format). Memos are often confused with other types of documents, so it's worth clarifying what memos are not: 

• A business letter. Business letters are formal written communications addressed to someone outside your organization—for example, a client, vendor, or partner. Memos stay internal.

• A press release. Press releases are written for external audiences and media distribution. Memos are generally reserved for internal communication. 

• An email. Emails tend to lean more conversational and casual, whereas memos are formal with buttoned-up language. 

• A report. Reports are long, data-heavy, and exploratory. Memos, on the other hand, are short. They hit the key points and move on. 

• A meeting agenda or minutes. Agendas outline what will be discussed, while memos communicate what's been decided or what needs to happen.

How to write a memo: a step-by-step guide

Memo styles vary across organizations, but they generally include a header block, introductory paragraph (for a high-level overview), body (for more context), and, optionally, a call to action. Keep reading for a deeper explanation of each element so you can write your own memo.  

A quick note on standard memo formatting: keep things single-spaced, with a blank line between paragraphs, and no indenting (everything should be flush to the left). Some organizations use a horizontal line to separate the header block from the body. Whatever your company standard is, follow it. 

1. Update the header block 

A header block sits at the top of every memo and communicates the basic who/what/when of your comms. It typically includes four separate lines:

• TO: The recipient(s)—for example, a specific person, team, or the whole company

• FROM: The memo writer's name (and sometimes their job title) 

• DATE: The date the memo is sent

• SUBJECT (or RE:): A clear and concise description of what the memo is about

Now if you'll allow me, a personal plea: do not simply put "Update" for the subject line. It draws about as much attention and action as crying "Help!" does (you're better off yelling "Fire!"). Here's an example of a more effective subject line: "New expense reimbursement policy, effective October 1."

2. Briefly state the purpose of the memo

The opening paragraph should briefly explain the purpose of the memo in one or two sentences. Here are a few simple formulas: 

• If the memo is only informational: "Due to [reason], we are [action] starting [date]."

• If the memo requires a specific action to be taken: "[What's happening] + [what you need from the reader] by [date]."

Highlighting the key details at the top makes it easy for readers to understand why they're getting a memo in the first place—and saves you from having to explain why repeatedly. 

3. Use the body to give more context

This is where you provide additional context to supplement your opening paragraph. For example, if you're announcing a policy change, explain what's changing and why. If you're making a request, spell out what you need and by when. 

Ideally, you'll want to use short paragraphs or, better yet, bullet points—they're easier to skim and digest. 

4. Wrap things up in the conclusion (and include a CTA) 

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, use the conclusion to let readers know that's the end of the memo—there's not more to come in a follow-up memo (unless there is). A simple "Please reach out to [name] with any questions" works.

If there's a call to action, repeat it here. Then bold or underline it to draw attention, but definitely don't do both—even if it's warranted (it's always warranted)—because it can be misinterpreted as passive-aggressive (which is what you were going for, but it won't fly with HR). 

5. Optionally, list any attachments or references

If the memo references another document—for example, a report or policy—note it at the bottom. You can use "Attachments: [document names]" or "See also: [document names]."

Most memos stay under one page. If yours is running longer, there's probably something in the body you can cut. For example, you may want to point readers to an attached policy instead of copying and pasting an entire section into the policy. 

6. Proofread

Before you send, read it once for accuracy (are the dates right? are the names spelled correctly?), once for clarity (would a colleague who's new to this topic understand it?), and once for length (can any of this be cut?).

3 memo examples and templates

Here are three common business memo examples, along with templates you can copy and use right away. If none of the templates are exactly what you're looking for, simply copy the header block of any template below, and fill in the rest to suit your needs. 

Company update memo example 

A company update memo lets teams know about organizational developments. It sounds broad because this memo type can cover a lot of ground—from leadership updates and changes in operations to new employee welcomes and a temporary shift in business hours. 

Best used for: Office closures, changes to business hours, location updates, operational announcements, or any company-wide news that affects how or where people work. 

Who should use it: HR, operations, facilities teams, or senior leadership communicating organization-wide changes.

Policy change memo example

A policy change memo lets employees know about updates to existing company rules or procedures. It typically outlines what the previous policy was, what's changing, when the change takes effect, and why. 

Best used for: Updating expense policies, PTO rules, codes of conduct, remote work guidelines, or any formal procedure that affects how employees work. 

Who should use it: HR teams, operations leads, or any manager with the authority to implement a policy change. 

Progress report memo

A progress report memo summarizes where a company project or initiative stands at a given point in time. Unlike a full report, it doesn't go deep on methodology or raw data—it highlights key achievements, flags any blockers or challenges, and points to what's coming next. 

Best used for: End-of-sprint updates, monthly project check-ins, milestone reviews, or any situation where stakeholders need a quick read on status without a full debrief. 

Who should use it: Project managers, team leads, or individual contributors reporting up to a manager or executive sponsor

Automate your memo workflows with Zapier

Memos might be short, but writing and distributing them still takes time, especially when you're managing recurring updates and tracking who acknowledged what. 

With Zapier, you can connect the tools you already use and build AI-powered workflows to handle the entire memo workflow—from generation to distribution to follow-up. If you already work in an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Claude, you can install Zapier and give it secure access to 9,000+ apps. Then you can do things like ask it to fill in a memo template based on meeting notes and share it via email or your team chat app—all without leaving your chat. 

Related reading:

• Google Docs formatting tricks to make your files pretty 

• How to create effective document templates

• How to insert a checklist in Google Docs

This article was originally published in February 2024 by Hachem Ramki. The most recent update was in September 2026.